Safety Program Manager, Principal
About The Position
The Principal Safety Program Manager serves as the organization's senior strategic leader responsible for shaping, governing, and advancing enterprise-wide safety programs and culture. This role provides thought leadership, develops long-term safety strategies, and drives transformational initiatives that reduce risk, improve operational performance, and strengthen organizational resilience. As a recognized subject matter expert, the Principal Safety Program Manager partners with executive leadership, business leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders to establish safety governance, influence enterprise decision-making, and ensure alignment between safety performance, regulatory compliance, and business objectives. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in safety management systems, governance, risk management, organizational change, operational excellence, and executive stakeholder engagement.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Health, Engineering, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Public Administration, or related field.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in safety, risk management, operational excellence, compliance, or program management.
- 4+ years leading enterprise-level safety programs, governance frameworks, or transformational initiatives.
- Demonstrated experience influencing executive leadership and organizational strategy.
- Experience leading cross-functional teams within complex, highly regulated environments.
- Proven success building enterprise governance structures and driving measurable safety improvements.
Nice To Haves
- Master's degree preferred
- Proficiency with Excel and Power BI
- 8+ years leading enterprise-level safety programs, governance frameworks, or transformational initiatives.
- 12+ years of progressive experience in safety, risk management, operational excellence, compliance, or program management.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP)
- Associate Safety Professional (ASP)
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
- Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM)
Responsibilities
- Lead enterprise safety strategy, culture, and transformation initiatives.
- Advise executives on safety performance, risks, and emerging trends.
- Align safety programs with business objectives and risk priorities.
- Establish safety governance, councils, and review forums.
- Monitor performance, manage risk escalation, and drive accountability.
- Provide executive reporting and strategic recommendations.
- Lead enterprise risk assessment and mitigation efforts.
- Ensure regulatory compliance and audit readiness.
- Oversee corrective action and compliance programs.
- Oversee serious incident investigations and executive reviews.
- Drive root cause analysis, organizational learning, and corrective actions.
- Monitor trends and systemic risks to prevent recurrence.
- Lead enterprise safety programs and strategic initiatives.
- Establish governance, metrics, and performance measures.
- Manage resources and ensure measurable outcomes.
- Define safety KPIs, metrics, and benchmarking standards.
- Leverage analytics to identify risks and improvement opportunities.
- Deliver executive dashboards and performance insights.
- Lead Lean, Six Sigma, and operational excellence initiatives.
- Standardize best practices and governance processes.
- Drive sustainable safety and operational improvements.
- Partner with executives, regulators, labor, and business leaders.
- Influence strategic decisions and drive cross-functional alignment.
- Represent the organization in industry forums and benchmarking activities.
- Provide strategic direction to safety teams and stakeholders.
- Build organizational capability in safety, governance, and risk management.
- Develop talent and foster a high-performance culture.
Benefits
- discretionary incentive compensation programs
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
